A chile-lime mango margarita, left; the Remember Me cocktail at GCH Craftsman Bar & Grill; and a rum-based pineapple and passion fruit cocktail at Sonoma Terrace.
(Amy Wong / Los Angeles Times; Cindy Carcamo / Los Angeles Times)
The best cocktails, wine, beer and more to try at the Disneyland Resort
Don’t tell the kids, but Disneyland parks are fun for adults too.
Sure, there’s the joy of watching a child’s face light up with pure wonderment as they see their favorite animated characters come to life for the first time. But what we’re talking about is a good-old fashioned drink (or two), capable of shifting your “Happiest Place on Earth” barometer when tantrums or spills threaten to throw you off.
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As the Disney brand continues to reorient itself and appeal to fans of all ages, drinking options at its parks have expanded. Now there are more than 30 spots offering adult beverages across the Anaheim Disneyland campus, including galactic taverns where weary travelers recharge, Tuscany-inspired wine bars with ivy-wrapped roofs and a hidden tiki terrace where you can order the famous Dole Whip — spiked. All of that is in stark contrast to just a couple of years ago, when the velvet-roped Club 33 represented the only establishment at Disneyland where you could order an alcoholic drink.
Although Disneyland remains more kid-friendly with just a few bars, there are still plenty of drinking hacks if you’re set on tippling your way around the park. You’re especially in luck at California Adventure, where you’ll find a boozy option at just about every food spot. Whether gates are just creaking open, you’ve been chasing endlessly energetic tiny humans for hours or you need to top off your trip with something stronger than a lemonade, here’s where to find a drink across Disneyland, California Adventure, Downtown Disney and the Disneyland hotels.
The flagship restaurant of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel brings charm to fine dining, but it needs an update to capture California’s magic.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Ballast Point Brewing Co.
Anaheim Brewery $$
Boasting roughly 30 beers in rotation — plus cider, wine, seltzer, hard kombucha and canned cocktails — Ballast Point Brewing Co.’s tasting room overlooking Downtown Disney’s main drag is an ideal place for beer lovers to perch. The San Diego-founded brewery’s Anaheim outpost features a three-barrel operation for brewing small and experimental batches but sources its pours from all over, including other breweries. Ballast Point’s famous Sculpin IPA — and other varieties — can be found woven into dishes such as Sculpin-tinged, baked-then-fried buffalo wings, while the full beer menu includes sea-salt sours, a California-inspired Kölsch, Russian imperial stouts and Japanese-style lagers. Most can be found in four-, eight-, or 16-ounce pours or purchased in to-go growlers to bring a taste back home. The California gastropub menu offers beer-pairing classics such as house-baked pretzels, burgers, wings and flatbreads alongside aguachile, poke bowls, al pastor nachos and seared-ahi salad.
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Bayside Brews
Anaheim Brewery $
The menu is tight but enjoyable at this walk-up beer stand in California Adventure’s Paradise Gardens Park. The beer offerings rotate but include lighter options such as Michelob Ultra or Pacifico, a wheat ale such as Golden Road’s L.A.-inspired Mango Cart or Blue Moon, an IPA or two and at least one cider. Bayside Brews doesn’t strictly stick to straightforward tap pours, though; this is also a spot for spice-rimmed, effervescent micheladas made with Pacifico or your choice of another beer on draft. In addition to the brews, look for seasonal margaritas. Should all that sipping work up a hunger, the stand’s Mickey-shaped pretzels make for an iconic — and festive — pairing.
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Blue Bayou
Anaheim Southern
Blue Bayou opened in tandem with Pirates of the Caribbean in 1967; boats full of the ride’s passengers float past the dining room every few minutes. Only in 2021, though, did the restaurant begin serving alcohol alongside its modern American menu. Beer choices, appropriate to the setting, feature Louisiana and California breweries, and most of the wines among the short selection showcase Napa Valley. The sole cocktail option riffs on the famous Hurricane, popularized during the World War II era at Pat O’Brien’s bar in New Orleans. Its mix of dark and gold rum, orange and lime juices, passion fruit puree and grenadine arrives in the tall, curving glass in which the drink is traditionally served. It suits specific tastes. I took a sip and winced. “It’s really sweet, huh?” asked a kind server who saw my face. “Can I maybe get you a glass of dry Riesling instead?
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Cappuccino Cart
Anaheim Coffee Breakfast
You could breeze right past California Adventure’s unassuming cappuccino cart, but to do so would be a mistake, especially if you’re in search of something stronger than coffee. This tiny cart serves all the caffeinated requisites, using beans from Florida-based roaster Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co., including drip coffee, lattes, mochas, nitro cold brew, hot cocoas, iced coffees and seasonal specials, but if you’re looking for a caffeinated beverage with bite, it also offers coffee with alcoholic add-ins such as Kahlúa, Irish whiskey, hazelnut cream liqueur and Baileys, available hot or iced. Looking for something a bit sweeter? These can also find their way into hot chocolate, and they’re all available as soon as the park opens.
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Carthay Circle Lounge
Anaheim American $$
The bar at Carthay Circle Lounge would hold its own outside California Adventure. Unlike most other restaurants at the park, the Disney character branding is minimal. With roomy leather armchairs and a beautiful dark-wood bar, you might forget where you are. The classic cocktails are excellent, with a proper martini, Negroni and Manhattan that rival any you’ll find around town. If you have a favorite drink, order it here. Some recent favorites include the bar’s rendition of a Tequila Daisy, concocted with Don Julio Reposado tequila, Cointreau, Crème Yvette violet liqueur, fresh lime, agave and egg whites; and the Double Pear martini, which offers pear three ways, with fresh pear nectar, pear vodka and a marinated baby pear garnish.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Clarabelle's Hand-Scooped Ice Cream
Anaheim Ice cream Confections $
The Guinness beer float at Clarabelle’s isn’t your average float. There are no scoops of ice cream plopped into a glass of beer. It’s more of a beer dip situation, served as a glass of ice-cold Guinness with a vanilla ice cream bar floating in the middle. You can finish it at your leisure, sipping the beer and dunking the ice cream bar while you roam California Adventure. Guinness is delightfully bitter, but if you’re looking for something on the fruitier side, you can order a mango hard float with mango beer, sorbet and diced mango or a lemon-raspberry float with lemon-raspberry cider, lemon sorbet and fresh raspberries.
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Earl of Sandwich Tavern
Anaheim Sandwich Shop American $$
You can’t miss this British-inspired place that’s adjacent to where the Disneyland tram drops off and picks up park-goers at Downtown Disney. There’s a takeout station dedicated to the sandwiches that trace their legacy back 250 years, as well as a tavern with hefty, steakhouse-fitting plates. The expanded space also includes a full bar, with wine by the glass and bottle and beer, in addition to cocktails such as an Earl Spritz with Aperol, bubbly and an orange slice, an ideal option for winding down after a day at the parks.
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GCH Craftsman Grill
Anaheim American $$
I can see why the outdoor patio bar here is packed during the summer. This poolside lounge at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is a welcome oasis from the theme-park chaos, especially on milder days. Make sure to grab a seat at the bar and order the Remember Me. The libation features Tito’s vodka, lime juice, watermelon syrup and cucumber and is garnished with edible flowers and a chile-lime rim. It’s a well-balanced and refreshing elixir that serves as the perfect tonic during a break between parks. I hope you’re lucky enough to have Eric as your bartender. He knows how to prepare a good cocktail, and his delightful and attentive service will make you want to linger. If you’re partial toward mai tais, order the Grand Mai Tai, featuring 8-year-aged Bacardi rum, dark rum, orange Curaçao, orgeat and lime juice. It’s a bit on the sweeter side but strong. The bar carries a solid selection of bottled beer, draft beer and wine. The charcuterie pizza — loaded with pepperoni, prosciutto, salami and Italian sausage — does a nice job soaking up the alcohol.
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Hearthstone Lounge
Anaheim American $$
The Hearthstone Lounge is essentially the lobby bar at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. There’s a fire you can cozy up next to and plenty of lounge seating, or you can get your drink in a plastic cup and walk it over to the lobby to listen to the piano player. As at any good hotel bar, the bartenders are friendly and easy to chat with. They’ll remember your drink from the night before and offer to make a bespoke cocktail. I asked my bartender, Jeremy, for his signature drink, which turned out to be an off-menu variation on a Long Island. He proceeded to pour gin, rum, coconut rum and vodka into a glass with ice and finish it with X-Rated Fusion liqueur (a citrus, mango and passion fruit-flavored vodka liqueur and the only “X-rated” thing at the park) and a float of Chambord. If you’ve been waiting in line for rides all day, sipping Jeremy’s cocktail will soothe. There’s also a decent list of mocktails, with a refreshing Peach Cooler that combines peach juice, Peach Fresca and sage syrup.
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Hollywood Lounge
Anaheim Snacks $
On a warm day, it’s hard to ignore the many patrons walking around with yellow cups rimmed with chile-lime seasoning. If you ask, most will tell you they’re sipping on a margarita, and they’ll direct you to the Hollywood Lounge at Hollywood Land. The quick-service kiosk always seems to have a long line of adults wanting to slake their thirst with a libation. The cucumber margarita is one of its most popular concoctions, crafted with tequila, lime juice, triple sec, cucumber syrup, sour mix and that chile-lime rim. The lineup also includes beer, a margarita flight and the Backlot Michelada, a tomato-based michelada made with Modelo beer. The chicharrones are just OK but can be enhanced with the included packet of hot sauce and lime.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Lamplight Lounge
Anaheim American $$
If you want to feel like you’re having a drink in the middle of an amusement park, the Lamplight Lounge is the place. Located on the Pixar Pier at California Adventure, the patio offers a view of the Incredicoaster and the Pixar Pal-A-Round. While you sip your drink, you can hear people screaming on the roller coaster just across the water, shake your head at the riders swinging in their carts on the Ferris wheel and contemplate your next ride. There’s a full bar, and the bartenders will make any cocktail you can dream up, but there’s a substantial list already on offer. Most lean playful and run sweet, including a Cinnamon Toast cocktail that incorporates vanilla vodka and cinnamon cereal-infused milk. For a fresh take on a classic Moscow Mule, try the Over Budget. It’s a good, strong vodka and ginger beer mule with a tropical boost from Liquid Alchemist passion fruit syrup.
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Magic Key Terrace
Anaheim American $$
The exclusive Magic Key Terrace is hidden away just above Mendocino Terrace and Wine Country Trattoria. If you’re a Magic Key holder and manage to nab a reservation, walk up the stairs and you’ll see a small group of high-top tables to your right and a more expansive sitting area with booths to your left. The mint julep is a refreshing concoction of Old Forester bourbon, apricot liquor, agave, lemon juice and soda water. The Shipwreck is a potent, rum-based drink that combines passion fruit liqueur, orgeat, coconut milk and lime juice. If you’d like a less sugary option, try a glass of California wine or beer. The menu features mainstream labels, such as Fess Parker out of Santa Barbara and Bottle Logic from Anaheim. Whatever you choose, most will go down well in this pleasing al fresco restaurant where you’re given a panoramic view of California Adventure. If you time it right, you might see a parade pass by. Yes, you have to be a Magic Key holder to access the restaurant.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Mendocino Terrace
Anaheim American $$
Mendocino Terrace is in an area of California Adventure meant to be a nod to Wine Country, one of a handful of businesses pushing state wines and cheese plates in the middle of lush greenery (there are actual vines) and structures that resemble an Italian farmhouse. Any of the restaurants in the area, including Sonoma Terrace and Wine Country Trattoria, are good options for a glass of wine, with a decent selection of the most recognizable names in California wine. If the weather’s nice, I’m partial to Mendocino Terrace for a relaxing glass of wine in between meals and rides. If you need a recommendation, the staff is helpful. If you’re something of a wine lover, I’m afraid you won’t be excited or surprised by the list. And natural wine has not made its way into the Disneyland parks just yet. But anything from Flora Springs in Napa Valley (recently the bar was pouring Flora Springs Poggio del Papa red blend), Justin in Paso Robles or Schweiger Vineyards in St. Helena should placate most wine drinkers.
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Oga's Cantina
Anaheim Bar Bites $$
If you like unique, juice-forward cocktails, Oga’s Cantina at Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland is a must. Most patrons come for the sugar-laden concoctions and unique Star Wars atmosphere, complete with droid DJ R-3X, a former Starspeeder 3000 pilot. The Outer Rim is one of the most popular cocktails, featuring Patrón Silver Tequila, pomegranate liqueur, lime juice and cane sugar, topped with fruit purée and rimmed with black salt. One of the most inventive concoctions has to be the Fuzzy Tauntaun, with Ciroc peach vodka, Bols peach schnapps, tangerine juice and sugar. The citrusy beverage is a twist on the Fuzzy Navel, topped off with “Buzz Button Tingling” foam, which resembles the remnants of a bubble bath. The foam is made of Szechuan flower, which leaves an effervescent, tingly sensation on your lips. The cantina is mainly standing room with limited seating. If you’re lucky enough to sit down, you’ll likely be joining another party to share a booth.
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Napa Rose
Anaheim American $$$
The bar and lounge areas at Napa Rose at the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa tend to fill up quickly, so aim to be at the door before it opens at 5:30 p.m. The restaurant is a tough reservation, which makes seats in the lounge or at the bar hot commodities. Although you can’t order the Napa Rose tasting menu or the entire a la carte menu, you can get most of the most popular dishes, so people tend to linger in their seats. As the name suggests, the wine list is crowded with California winemakers, with a couple of Italian and French producers peppered throughout. The cocktail menu is void of tequila- or mezcal-based drinks, but you’ll find a well-made Old-Fashioned and various other takes on classic cocktails. If you’re into Italian aperitifs (raising my hand), the It’s All Bitters cocktail is snappy and refreshing, a shining, well-balanced blend of Campari, Fernet Branca, Cynar, Cocchi Americano, Cocchi Barolo Chinato, fresh lemon juice and orgeat.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Pacific Wharf Distribution Co.
Anaheim American $
If you’re looking for a quick craft beer break at California Adventure, head to the Pacific Wharf Distribution Co. truck. It’s a stand offering half a dozen varieties of Karl Strauss beer. Even if there’s a line, it moves quickly. For a lighter beer that almost sips like a sparkling cocktail, the Red Trolley Ale is bright and fruity with notes of currants. It’s brewed with caramelized malts, which gives the beer its signature red hue.
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Pym Tasting Lab
Anaheim American $
On a hot day, the boozy offerings at the Pym Tasting Lab at the Avengers Campus at California Adventure may serve you well. The lab features a variety of craft beer options, spritzes and hard kombuchas. If you’re looking for a cocktail, you might be inclined to sip on the Tropical Hurricane, which features vodka and pineapple hurricane mix topped with fruit-flavor-filled boba. It’s a fun drink and one of the more well-balanced options at the lab. If you’re partial to sweet drinks, try the X-Periment, crafted with Patrón Silver tequila, mango and habanero syrups and mango-flavor-filled boba. You’re limited to two alcoholic beverages per guest per transaction.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen
Anaheim Southern $$
You’ll find the stiffest mint julep in the Downtown Disney district and possibly west of the Mississippi River at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen, which is currently undergoing a remodel and soon will debut with a slightly more California coastal feel. Mint leaves wrap around the sides of the rocks glass that’s stacked with ice and filled to the brim with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, while house-infused mint simple syrup adds a slight herbaceous sweetness to the slow sipper. There’s a full menu of classic New Orleans cocktails, as well as a Dole Whip-inspired Pineapple Milk with pineapple-infused vodka, piña colada mix and Dole pineapple juice. Order beignets on the side to soak up the booze — you’ll have to contend with stairs on the way out.
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Rita's Baja Blenders
Anaheim Shakes/Smoothies $
Ready to cool you down on a scorching summer day at California Adventure is Rita’s Baja Blenders, serving strawberry and lemon-lime frozen margaritas, to which you can add a splash of liqueur for a $2 upcharge. Both options deliver a puckering, saccharine sweetness, but the strawberry has a hint of real fruit essence that makes it the better option. The fringe benefit of these sugar-loaded drinks is that you’ll quickly forget you’re consuming alcohol.
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Smokejumpers Grill
Anaheim American $
In California Adventure’s Grizzly Peak land, which celebrates our state parks, Smokejumpers Grill offers a few cocktail options worth seeking out on their own. There’s ridiculously overpriced Pabst Blue Ribbon as well as a few local brews, but the bourbon sweet lemonade tea and frozen Coca-Cola with Jack Daniels whiskey or Captain Morgan rum feel fitting in the restaurant that resembles a campsite general store. There’s also a blue raspberry cocktail swimming with Gummi Fish, vodka, blue raspberry, limeade, lemonade and blue cotton candy syrup if you’re pining for a frat party punch bowl.
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Splitsville Luxury Lanes
Anaheim American $$
Bowling might feel like a big commitment if you just want a drink, but Splitsville has plenty to do even if you don’t want to knock down pins. Request to sit at the patio bar bordered by flatscreen TVs, overlooking the Downtown Disney District. If you’re staying in the area overnight, note that on-tap cocktails — including a margarita, a pink paloma and blueberry lemonade — can be ordered in 22-ounce souvenir squeeze bottles that you can bring back and refill for just $16. There are also syrupy signature cocktails like a smoky mango margarita with mezcal, in addition to draft beer and red and white wine by the glass and bottle. Splitsville’s food menu is surprisingly broad for a bowling alley — choose from pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, salads, bowls, sushi, pasta entrees and more.
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Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar
Anaheim Hawaiian $$
Trader Sam’s Enchanted tiki bar is tiny. Advance reservations are highly recommended if you want to sit inside the bar at the Disneyland Hotel. The wait was around 90 minutes for two seats on a Tuesday evening. If you just want a few tiki drinks and appetizers and don’t mind sitting outside, seats usually are available. But I’m going to recommend that you have your drinks inside, because inside, drinks come with a show. Depending on which cocktail you order, lights will flash, sound effects will blare and the bar staff may even start spraying you with a water bottle. And like all good tiki bars, half the fun is taking in the scene, crammed with boat paraphernalia hanging from the ceiling and along the walls, tiki totems along the bar, leis, masks, flags, framed letters. You get the idea. Some of the drinks are meant for one. Others come in a bowl with multiple straws. If you’re willing to share, the Sea Monster’s Embrace is a pineapple-forward punch with orange, lime and passion fruit. It’s spiked with Real McCoy and Plantation dark rums, New Amsterdam gin, E&J brandy and falernum. A basket of the crispy fried long beans makes for a pretty good snack. And if you love your tiki mug or bowl so much that you want to take it home, you can, for an extra charge.
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